Abstract
ABSTRACT Costa Rica’s Caribbean coastline is the result of a complex tectonic setting coupled with dynamic geological, climatological, hydrological and ecological processes. Despite their importance in risk prevention and in land use planning, geomorphological maps at detailed scales are scarce in Costa Rica. A geomorphology map of 210 km of the Caribbean coastline was produced at a scale of 1: 25,000 with a 1: 50,000 scale output map. Eleven landforms were mapped and described based upon their morphogenesis (i.e. tectonic, volcanic, fluvial and/or coastal). This work is an important base for coastal management, and is a compilation of the best existing knowledge of the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.
Highlights
The Costa Rican Caribbean coast is located on the eastern coast of the nation stretching from the geographic coordinates 9° 32′ 34.8′′ to 10° 56′ 24′′ N and −82° 33′ 14.4′′ to −83° 41′ 52.8′′ W
This territory forms an elongated depression that is approximately 50 km wide extending from marine carbonate platforms of the South East to the broad alluvial plains to the North
The turbidites are coastal and fluvial origin dating from the Miocene epoch to Quaternary period. The evolution of this region is controlled by regional tectonics and seismicity generated by the Central Deformed Belt of Costa Rica and the Depression Belt of Northern Panama
Summary
The Costa Rican Caribbean coast is located on the eastern coast of the nation stretching from the geographic coordinates 9° 32′ 34.8′′ to 10° 56′ 24′′ N and −82° 33′ 14.4′′ to −83° 41′ 52.8′′ W. This territory forms an elongated depression that is approximately 50 km wide extending from marine carbonate platforms of the South East to the broad alluvial plains to the North. The study area encompasses two geological regions: the Caribbean Basin and the Limón Basin These regions are a result of the development of shallow deposits and turbidity environments generated around 65 Ma and a series of volcanic and sedimentary lithologies (Figure 1). According to Denyer and Alvarado (2007), the different geological formations of the Costa Rican Caribbean vary on their compositions and ages from Miocene shales and sandstones (Uscari), Mio-Pliocene sandstones (Río Banano, Quebrada Chocolate, and Moín), Plio-Pleistocene conglomerates and sandstones (Suretka)
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